10 Iconic Movies Celebrating Their 50th Anniversary In 2026

In 2026, several iconic American films—including Rocky and Taxi Driver—will mark their 50th anniversaries. Many consider the 1970s to be a golden age for American movies, and we’ve recently seen celebrations for other classics from that era, such as Jaws, The Godfather, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.

1976 was a fantastic year for film, meaning 2026 will be a special year for movie fans. Several now-classic films, including John Wayne’s last Western, a hilarious silent comedy by Mel Brooks, and Sidney Lumet’s insightful look at the media, are all reaching their 50th anniversaries this year.

The Shootist

John Wayne’s last movie role was in the 1976 western, The Shootist. It proved to be a fitting end to his remarkable career as a western star. The film’s story about a gunslinger facing his own death mirrors Wayne’s situation as an aging actor making one final film, creating a poignant and meaningful connection between the story and real life.

Silent Movie

Though not as well-known as Mel Brooks’ hits like Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein, Silent Movie is equally hilarious. It cleverly parodies classic silent comedies while also offering a witty critique of the movie business. The 1970s film follows a producer’s attempts to convince a Hollywood studio to finance a silent movie – a rather ironic endeavor for the time.

The Enforcer

Clint Eastwood’s third Dirty Harry film, The Enforcer, is arguably the strongest sequel in the series – and it’s had a lasting impact. The movie’s plot, where Harry Callahan mentors a new police officer, heavily influenced Dredd, which is considered one of the best comic book adaptations ever made.

Compared to the other Dirty Harry films—including the original—The Enforcer strikes a better balance between action and comedy. The chemistry between Eastwood and Tyne Daly is fantastic; she plays a great counterpoint to Harry’s character.

Mikey And Nicky

Following the success of two popular romantic comedies, Elaine May decided to make a different kind of film: a crime drama. Mikey and Nicky focuses on the relationship between two men: Nicky, a low-level criminal played by John Cassavetes, who is in danger because his boss wants him dead, and Mikey, his childhood friend played by Peter Falk, who he turns to for assistance.

The film Mikey and Nicky takes place over one intense night, following the two main characters as Mikey assists Nicky in trying to get away. Throughout the night, they reminisce about their shared past. Rather than a typical gangster film, it’s a realistic and emotional story about a close, but platonic, friendship – similar in tone to films like Diner or Superbad, where characters work through their issues with each other.

All The President’s Men

During the mid-1970s, the Watergate scandal shattered public trust in the U.S. government, and Hollywood responded with a surge of suspenseful thrillers focusing on government conspiracies and secret operations. The most iconic film from this period is arguably the one directly based on the Watergate events themselves.

The film All the President’s Men stars Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, the Washington Post reporters who famously uncovered the story that led to the downfall of the Nixon administration. It’s a powerful tribute to honest journalism and the vital role of revealing the truth—something that feels especially important today.

The Bad News Bears

While the original Bad News Bears isn’t necessarily the greatest sports movie of all time, it’s definitely one of the funniest. It stars Walter Matthau as Morris Buttermaker, a down-on-his-luck, alcoholic former baseball player who ends up reluctantly coaching a struggling little league team called the Bears.

What set The Bad News Bears apart was its realistic portrayal of how kids actually speak, with dialogue that felt authentic – something South Park would later become known for. The movie remains popular today because audiences always enjoy cheering for the underdog, and the Bears are a perfect example of a team no one expects to win.

Network

Even after 50 years, the film Network, directed by Sidney Lumet and written by Paddy Chayefsky, feels remarkably ahead of its time. The story of a TV network using an anchorman’s breakdown to boost ratings perfectly illustrates how easily mass media can be corrupted. Its message about the pursuit of views and attention is just as powerful today, in the age of TikTok, as it was when it first critiqued television in the 1970s.

Chayefsky’s writing and Lumet’s directing perfectly captured the film’s tone. They also gathered an incredibly talented cast to portray the nuanced characters: Peter Finch played the volatile news anchor, Faye Dunaway the ambitious and driven programming director, and William Holden the disillusioned man caught in a painful situation.

Carrie

Brian De Palma’s Carrie was the first film ever made based on a Stephen King story. It kicked off a tradition of adapting King’s work that continues today, with films ranging from classics like The Shining and Misery to beloved favorites like The Shawshank Redemption and recent hits like The Long Walk. All of these adaptations owe a debt to the 1976 movie, which was based on King’s very first published novel.

While the story of Carrie has been adapted for the screen several times – with another version on the way from Mike Flanagan – Brian De Palma’s film is still considered the definitive adaptation. Sissy Spacek and Piper Laurie deliver outstanding performances, and De Palma masterfully creates a chilling atmosphere in iconic scenes like Carrie’s first period and the devastating prom night. It’s a remarkably well-made movie.

Rocky

Sylvester Stallone faced early struggles as an actor and couldn’t land the roles he desired. Determined, he wrote a movie specifically to showcase his talents – a film that would become a classic. This project instantly made him a star and put him in rare company, as only the third person – following Charlie Chaplin and Orson Welles – to receive Oscar nominations for both acting and writing.

The movie Rocky practically invented the classic underdog sports story, and it’s still one of the best examples of how effective that type of film can be. But Rocky isn’t really about boxing at all—it’s a love story. The main character, Rocky, doesn’t even win the big fight, and that’s okay with him, as long as he has the support of Adrian.

Taxi Driver

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Martin Scorsese’s classic film, Taxi Driver. While other movies like Coffy and Death Wish were popularizing vigilante heroes, Taxi Driver offered a dark and realistic look at street justice, told through the troubled mind of a Vietnam War veteran struggling with insomnia and set against the gritty backdrop of 1970s New York City.

Few American films reach the same level of depth, nuance, and visual beauty as international classics like 8½ and Tokyo Story, but Taxi Driver is one of them. Robert De Niro created a truly compelling antihero in Travis Bickle, a troubled man with good intentions whose distorted perspective leads him to commit awful acts.

2026-01-28 15:00